Vegan Chile Rellenos (made with Aquafaba)

These Vegan Chile Rellenos are coated in a super fluffy batter made from aquafaba, and are crunchy on the outside but moist on the inside. Stuff them with vegan cheese, beans, potatoes, corn, soyrizo, or vegan meat, and top with canned enchilada sauce for a tasty meal anytime!

Living in LA, I’ve had my fair share of good Mexican food.
But tacos and tortas aside, my favorite Mexican dish by far is Chiles Rellenos.

And although I’ve been vegan for over 14 years (yes, I’m an OG vegan✊🏽), I’ve never thought of making Vegan Chile Rellenos at home, until I came across aquafaba.

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably come across this amazing new wonder ingredient which vegans are using in place of eggs for recipes like macarons, meringues, and other baked goods.

Dana over at Minimalist Baker has an amazing guide to making aquafaba on her blog, and you can learn how to make it here. Thanks Dana for the handy information! #veganhighfive

I love all things savory, so using this fluffy wonder ingredient to replace the egg coating for a vegan chile rellenos was a no-brainer.

The only problem is that since aquafaba is literally just bean water, the moment you place it into hot frying oil it splutters violently and basically burns away. As we know, water and oil – do not mix (and I have the burn to prove it 😓).

So I had to think of a way to add body to the aquafaba, without losing the fluffiness we’ve created by whipping the aquafaba to peak perfection. That’s when I decided to use good old all-purpose flour; and hey, while we’re adding dry ingredients, let’s add some flavor and color with nutritional yeast and turmeric!

The result? A thick batter with the heart and soul of aquafaba, but the body of a fry batter.

Once fried, the batter becomes crispy and golden on the outside, but is super fluffy and airy on the inside. The perfect texture for vegan chile rellenos!.

But as we know, we can’t judge people food on just their outer appearance.It’s what’s inside that counts.

I’ve read that people also use bell peppers, but I would advise against that since the flavor from the charred poblano peppers really make this dish iconic. You can easily find poblano peppers at most grocery stores, and they’re a staple at most Hispanic grocers as well – plus they’re also available via Amazon here.

Finally, serving your vegan chile relleno couldn’t be easier.

Some people are keen on making their own tomato based sauce to serve the peppers with, but I believe in efficiency and saving time in the kitchen when possible, so I like to use a can of basic enchilada sauce instead.

These Vegan Chile Rellenos are coated in a super fluffy batter made from aquafaba and is crunchy on the outside, and perfect for your favorite sauces. Stuff them with vegan cheese, soyrizo, beans, potatoes, corn, or more. The possibilities are endless!

*mix all ingredients in saucepan, except for the cheese; let cool completely and mix with cheese until ready to stuff

Option 3: Corn & Cheese

⅔ cups Canned Corn

⅓ cup Vegan Cheese Shreds

1-2 tbsps. Chili Flakes

Salt, to taste

*strain the corn well, and mix all ingredients in a bowl and set aside until ready to stuff

Instructions

Thoroughly wash your peppers and dry them off with a paper towel

Place peppers over open flame on stove top, and char on medium high heat all around; if you don't have a gas stove, you can also char them on a hot pan or under your oven's broiler*

Place charred peppers into a heat safe container with a lid, or bowl with a cling wrap; let them sit and steam for 10 minutes in said bowl or container

Once cooled, use the serrated edge of a knife, or your hands, and carefully remove as much of the skin as possible (it's okay if you can't get it all)

Carefully cut a 2-3 inch slit on one side of the cleaned pepper and remove the seeds and membranes from inside

Stuff each pepper with your ¼ of your filling of choice, and seal the seam with 2-3 toothpicks(but remember where you put them, because it is a choking hazard!); set stuffed peppers aside until it's time to fry

Place aquafaba and cream of tartar into a bowl, and beat on high with a stand mixer or electric beater* for 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks form and the aquafaba sticks to a spoon without falling

Before you make the batter, heat your cooking oil in a large pot or deep fryer at 350 degrees, so that it's ready when the batter is done

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, and turmeric then add nutritional yeast

Slowly fold in ⅓ of the whipped aquafaba into the dry ingredients - the batter will deflate considerably, but that's okay

Mix in the remaining 2nd third and the final third of the aquafaba until you have a thick batter that resembles pancake batter (you can add a few tablespoons of water if its too thick)

On a plate, dust the stuffed peppers with flour; carefully dip one pepper into the batter making sure to completely cover/seal the opening with batter so that it doesn't open during cooking

Place the coated pepper into the oil, opening side down; fry for 3-5 minutes until the coating turns golden brown

Once cooked, remove the peppers from the oil and strain it on a paper towel and remove toothpicks immediately; repeat with remaining peppers

Once peppers are done, place half of the enchilada sauce on a cast iron skillet, followed by the cooked peppers; cover with the rest of the sauce, and a handful of vegan cheese

Place under your oven's broiler for 2-3 minutes, just until the cheese melts*

Serve immediately with beans, rice, lettuce, and more sauce

Notes

*if you don't have a gas stove, you can pan roast the peppers in a dry pan, or broil in your oven - just be careful not to over cook the peppers or else they will collapse and will not be able to hold the stuffing

*you'll definitely want to use an electric mixer to whip up the aquafaba - please refrain from doing it by hand, as you need to have it whipped at high speed for close to 15 minutes to incorporate enough air to hold it up

*if you don't have a broiler in your oven, you can heat the enchilada sauce and melt the cheese at the end in your microwave on a microwave safe plate

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Hi, I'm Sanjay and I recently started this blog to combine my passions for vegan food + all things internet. I'm excited to share some of my favorite vegan (and sometimes healthy) recipes with you, all while improving my food photography and blogging skills along the way! Check out my recipes, and let me know what you think.

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